We Need Volunteer Office Help

Frequent Questions:

What is Respite?

Respite (res'pit) is a Gift of Time, Rest and Relief to a caregiverof a family member with an ongoing medical condition or illness.

What service does Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee offer? Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee is an interfaith non-profit agency which places trained volunteers with families who live in Shiawassee County, Michigan. They help those caring for an adult in their home. Volunteers are asked to provide 1-3 hours of companionship to the person who is ill. This gives the caregiver a much needed respite to: take a nap, go for a walk, grocery shop, meet friends for lunch, go to a doctor's appointment, run errands, or whatever will relieve their caregiving duties.

To whom is this service offered?

Respite is provided to families living in Shiawassee County, who are caring for an adult in their home who has an ongoing medical problem or illness, or is a frail elderly person. Many of the families Respite serves are elderly couples, in which one spouse is caring for the other one.

We also serve many families in which the caregiver is an adult child, caring for a parent or spouse's parent. In this situation, the caregiver is usually handling many responsibilities at once: caregiving, home, work (possibly at reduced hours), and often, raising children.

Studies indicate that what caregivers report needing the most is a break in their caregiving responsibilities. Without services such as Respite Volunteers, the break they need and deserve is hard to find.

How can families request a Respite Volunteer be assigned to their family? Individual caregivers may call to request services themselves, or they may be referred by other family members, Respite Church Liaisons, Pastors, Physicians, Social Workers, Home Health agencies, etc.

How can I help?

There are many ways you can help provide respite to family caregivers:

If you are a resident of Shiawassee County, you could become a volunteer and serve a family in your community.

We also have a need for additional Church Liaisons, who let families know about our services and assist in recruiting potential volunteers.

Our volunteers report that they actually gain so much themselves, from the time they give to families.

or call Helen Howard at: (989) 725-1127 for more information.

Donations are welcome.Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee is a non-profit agency which relies on donations, annual memberships, fundraising and grant writing to cover the expenses of the program. They fund continued volunteer training and support, the matching of volunteers with families, and other family services.

Contributions to Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee are tax deductible

as provided by law.

Grant Funding
Provided by:

Edward M. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation

Bank of America, N.A., Trustee

Alden and Vada DowFamily Foundation

Ray & Kay Eckstein

Charitable Trust

The Cook Family Foundation

Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Shiawassee Community Foundation

Community Health & Education Grant

Alvin M. Bentley Foundation

support provided by Wells Fargo Foundation in cooperation with Wells Fargo Advisors